Wandering Child
by the status is not quo
Summary: A runaway from Port Royal gets tangled up with the ship so horrible that hell spat it back out. The runaway? One Vanessa Edwards. Hard to summarize. Just read to find out.
1. Running Away

_**Wandering Child**_

A "Pirates of the Caribbean" fanfiction

**Disclaimer: **

This is for entertainment purposes only.

I do not claim any form of ownership over any characters from the "Pirates" or Disney franchise.

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**PART I**

Runaway

"_Wandering child,_

_So lost,_

_So helpless,_

_Yearning for my guidance…_

_Have you forgotten your angel?_

_Angel, oh speak,_

_What endless longings,_

_Echo in this whisper?"_

~Christine Daae and the Phantom, "Wandering Child", _The Phantom of the Opera_

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My feet practically flew over the ground, freezing, bleeding in some places. But it was worth it. It was going to be worth it once I was gone. My hair blew out of my face, away from my back and neck like a cape of rippling chocolate. Sweat was warm for only moments before it became cold and unwelcome.

I could hear gunshots, shouting, men cursing my name to the depths of Davy Jones' locker or hell. I didn't care. I was _not _going to die today. I didn't help a young boy convicted of piracy–he wasn't guilty, either, but the East India Trading Company was a band of pea-brains, so they didn't dare try him…wait, that was suspended. We weren't allowed fair trials anymore. If I was caught, it was straight to the hangman's noose to dance his jig.

_**Joy.**_

Port Royal wasn't the cozy little town of only a few months ago. It was now a pit of despair and darkness, a dead-man's wonderland.

As I arrived at the dock, I spotted a ship with a lantern lit in one of the windows. I rushed toward it, singing the song I knew would get me help–if they happened to be pirates–as loud as I could without tipping me off. "_Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me, we pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot, drink up me hearties, yo-ho. We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot…_" I hurried up the gangplank, eyes wide. I ran to the nearest door and banged my fist against it, breathing heavily. _Please, oh please let me in!_ I thought desperately.

The door swung open to reveal a rather drunken-looking man with a bottle of rum in his hand and his hat cockily askew over his dread-locks. He looked over me and smirked. "Ello, lassie, what might you be doing here so late at night?"

"Running from the hangman's noose," I breathed, feeling exhausted and out of breath. "Please, may I hide here for the night? Or just until they believe I jumped into the ocean to escape them?"

The man's smirk grew larger. "Alright…but where will you stay? Among the men of little valor I call me crew? Or in the brig…perhaps in the crow's nest where none will be able to reach to find ye?"

My brows knit together, "Wha'?"

He chuckled and clapped his hand on my back. "You need somewhere to hide on me ship, savvy? Where did ye think ye would hide? In my quarters?"

I shook my head, "No, I was thinking the galley, rum stores…?" I trailed off as he gave me the strangest look.

He turned to look over his shoulder and called to someone in there, perhaps a monkey or dog, "Hide the rum! We have a lass on board!"

"What in blazes are you going on about, Jack? How much rum have you 'ad?" another man shouted back.

My eyes shot open even wider. "Good heavens, you're him!" I whispered shrilly. When I was younger, I had heard stories of him from my father, a member of the Royal Navy. He'd heard of things that he wouldn't dare tell me for I was so young. "Captain Jack Sparrow."

"I assume you've heard of me then, good," Jack smiled, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into his quarters as I squeaked.


	2. Words Through Prison Bars Loose Charm

**CHAPTER TWO**

Like many a wench before me–I presume–I first realized what a terrible man Jack was once you got past the initial "charm" of his personality. He smelled like rum, was drunk without even touching rum in days, and was incredibly selfish. I do believe one of the first things he asked about the agreement for me to stay onboard the Pearl was "What's in it for me, lass?"

I leaned against the wall of the Captain's quarters, looking over the man now known as Mr. Gibbs whilst he looked over me. "Bad luck to have a woman on board. Especially a runaway small one like you," he muttered.

I frowned, "I could easily lure in some of the guard onto this ship and have you and your captain hung for piracy," I stated plainly and shrugged, snagging his bottle of rum. "And yourself for aiding him," I cleaned it on my tattered nightgown before taking a deep swig of it. Gibbs gave me the strangest look.

"Mr. Gibbs! Did I not tell you to hide the rum from the lass?" Jack roared, glaring at me, then Mr. Gibbs.

"My name is not '_lass_'! My name is Vanessa," I spat back, waving the bottle in his face with a sour expression. "Thank you very much for the rum, Mr. Gibbs. It takes away from the horrible situation I have gotten myself into by coming onto this ship thinking I would receive refuge. All I received was a _drunk_ pirate with a terrible reputation!"

"I think you have a low tolerance, sweetie. Give Jackie the rum…" the Captain said kindly and quickly, reaching for the bottle to grab it from my hands.

I raised my eyebrows, "I've only had a sip! And I'll give 'Jackie' the rum once I've had enough, thank you," I huffed, hugging the rum close to my chest. "I think you're selfish. Not sharing your rum with a guest."

"Excuse me, but you are not a 'guest' you are a stowaway. Now give me the rum before you cause a ruckus."

I hesitated for a few brief moments before handing over the rum, missing it already. Now I saw the appeal. Jack grinned and held the bottle's neck by two fingers. "Tha's a good Nessa."

"_Va_nessa," I muttered under my breath, not a fan of nicknames. I paused for a moment, "Where am I to sleep?"

"Your choice, lass, the brig, or the rum stores, though you are not to touch any of it," he shot back immaturely.

I pulled even further away from him. "I'd rather take my chances with the crow's nest."

"Away with you, then, to the crow's nest! And no rum!"

"I'm pretty sure where it'll all be next week," I grumbled as I exited through the door and began to climb up to the nest.

"Wha's that?"

"Nothing you need worry about."

Once in the crow's nest, I lay down on my back with my legs curled up and turned to one side. I rested my arms behind my head and looked up at the stars. Over the crashing waves, I heard a few sentences before drifting off.

"_Where is she?_"

"_I saw her heading towards the hanging yard._"

"_I think she's gone and jumped into the blue. Gone now, no doubt._"

I smirked softly to myself. "Oh, you wish,"

*******

The next morning I awoke to much louder waves and the shouts of much different men than the previous night. They were shouting orders about the sails and rigging. I sat up, opening my eyes to the bright sunlight.

"Wha's goin' on?" I slurred, getting to my knees and looking over the edge of the crow's nest. I gasped.

The dirty little liar! That sneak! That buffoon! He had set sail without letting me off the ship! I growled and hurried down back to the deck, a look of fury of which hell hath no. "_JACK!_"

"_Captain_ Jack, if you don't mind, lass."

I slapped a hand across his face, and the whole crew stopped working to stare.

"Now what did you do tha' for?"

I grit my teeth together. "Our agreement! You were supposed to let me off the ship before your set sail!" I glared at him, "Where _are _we, Jack?"

"At sea, dearie," he grinned. It all became clear right then.

"You lied."

Jack shrugged, "Pirate!"

"I think I should slap you again. To see if it echoes around in your empty skull!" I screeched, in the motion of leaping at him if it weren't for Mr. Gibbs' hands around my elbows holding me back. "Let me go! I want to knock some sense into that drunken, no-good pirate!"

"Lass, you're livin' with 'em now. You might as well get used to that fact," Gibbs warned, letting go of one of my elbows to grab a bottle of rum and hand it to me. "Let's see if you're more relaxed after a few swigs of this."

"You're sure she won't knock me over the head with it?" Jack said warily, keeping a safe distance from me, as he should.

"I'd cover your head, Sparrow…" I snarled, gripping the neck of the bottle like a lifeline.

Jack snagged the bottle from my hand, a fierce expression on his face, "Now listen here, Vanessa, you may not like it, but you're a pirate now! And _I _am your captain. If you would please, shut your trap! Before I send you to the brig and lock you in with Pintel and Ragetti."

Gibbs released me and I leapt a step forward before pulling back. "Who?"

A tall and skinny man stepped forward with his short and stout counterpart. The short one grinned, "Ello, poppet."

I flinched, Jack swooping behind me and pushing me forward. "Pintel, Ragetti, meet Vanessa."

"Can I call you Nessa for short?" the taller one asked innocently. I shrugged and my brows knit together. "I'm Ragetti,"

"Uh…" I hesitated and pressed my hands together.

The crunch of an apple sounded behind me and I whipped around. Another pirate stared down at me, a green apple in hand. His hat drew my attention next, then his overall appearance. "Is 'at your name, lassie? Vanessa. Quite a formal name for a runaway, don't you agree? Even more so for a pirate."

I groaned and stomped my foot. "I am _not_ a pirate! I was just trying to run away from being hung, not be roped into the crew of the _Black Pearl_! I just want to go home!"

"And be hung, oh yes, that's a very good plan," he retorted. "Now, Nessa, the thing is–and I've told Jack this before–you can't outrun the world. Nor can ye run away from it."

"Watch me try," I hissed in a whisper before bolting for a dingy. My actions were useless, however, because Ragetti–I'm pretty sure it was him–caught me around the waist as I began to leap over the side. "Lemme go!"

"Not allowed to let you off the ship. Jack told me this morning," Ragetti stated plainly. I glared at Sparrow. Of course _he_ didn't want her to leave the ship. He had this all planned out, hadn't he?

"Send this runaway to the brig. Lock her in the very back."

"You have no brains, do you?" I spat ruefully as Pintel took my arm and lead me down below the deck and into the barred walls of the brig. It was probably the longest walk I've ever endured in my time on the _Pearl_.

Ragetti and Pintel shoved me into the final cell and locked the door. "There you go, Nessa," Ragetti smiled, giving me a short wave before he left with Pintel.


End file.
